Fayetteville is 0-10 against Bentonville since April of 2018 but things could change on Thursday. The Bulldogs will venture away from home to take on the Tigers at 5:00 p.m. Fayetteville has given up an average of 8.6 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Fayetteville is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another highly-ranked state team: Springville, who was ranked fifth in their home state at the time (Fayetteville was ranked 13th). The Bulldogs came up short against the Tigers on Wednesday, falling 11-1.
Meanwhile, Bentonville waltzed into their match on Tuesday with four straight wins... but they left with five. They put the hurt on the Wolverines with a sharp 11-1 win. The result was nothing new for the Tigers, who have now won seven games by six runs or more so far this season.
Darby Burnett spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on six hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Marissa Gianneschi, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles. That's the most doubles she has posted since back in April of 2024. Kylee Wyman was another key player, going 2-for-5 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
Bentonville was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .472. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Bentonville West only posted a batting average of .261.
Bentonville's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-1. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Fayetteville, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-3-2.
Fayetteville suffered a grim 14-2 defeat to Bentonville in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Bulldogs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
